theplaygroundiiifandomcom-20200214-history
Red Lantern Magic
An esoteric and often debated magic from the dark depths of Ikoku, most scholars of the land deny its very existence as a fairy tale and their practitioners mere legends spoken over a pipe and wine in the cold nights of winter. The magical community as a whole denies its existence a bit to loudly perhaps for the truth remains that the magic of the Red Lantern is a reality and its users, though rare, do walk the streets and roam the country side. Those who dare even speak as if the magic were true conjecture that the first user of the Red Lantern operated in the seedy port cities and that the name of the magic itself testifies to this. City folk speak of the men and women who carry a lantern over their head, slipping through the streets at night, stealing children and orphans into darkness where they’re never seen again. The peasants of the farmlands speak of the odd “Sorcerers” who move through the rice fields, stealing food from the stores of good communities and the monsters that accompany them at all times. Mad fools speak of the hushed darkness that crawls like spiders inside their skulls just from a glimps of the secretive sect of magic users, the touch of prostitutes and the sweet taste of wine forever ash on their flesh and on their tongue ever after. This is all to say that the magic of the Red Lantern is clouded in myth, lies and lunatic ravings with anyone in a position to weigh in either refusing to acknowledge it or....the practitioners themselves. Such latter forces either truly exist only in the legends of country bumpkins and mad men or are quite happy for the fear or refusal of acceptance their practices illicit. The truth of course, is the mages of the Red Lantern are quite real, hiding in the underbelly of Ikoku society and revealing in the myths their magic has created though some are based on quite true things. The truth of the creation of the Red Lantern magic, its first users and the reason for the name are well known to those who practice the art though guard it from all outsiders for fear their magic could be studied and countered and thus the only real edge of the school forever vanishing like a blown out candle. The first users of the magic were indeed in the criminal element of the island nation, a large portion of the mages within The Ninkyoudantai seeking to create a magic no Court Mage had ever seen. A magic fitting their world, not the world they worked within. The name could easily come from the Red Light Districts of many port cities or even interior cities for that matter, however the fact remains that the name comes from the red lantern that hangs above each users head. Red Lantern Mages are almost exclusive to The Ninkyoudantai, those few taught outside the organization more often than not join eventually either through strong arm tactics from their master or other elements within the community or for a sense of belonging. Children of magical potential are oftentimes stolen from the streets in the night if they are orphaned or bought from their parents at midnight meetings, the masters seeking those with the potential to be potent mages at a maleable age to further sway them under their influence. Red Lantern Magic is the magic of both the spirit and the world around the user, the user learning over the course of his or her teaching how to tap into their mana and the energies of the world about them and merge the two on an increasingly growing scale as one learns the darker recesses of the art. It is almost universally required that Red Lantern Mages are taught young before they learn any other form of magic though it is not impossible to learn after though the rituals and teachings are much harsher and strict. The teaching of Red Lantern Magic is an incredibly difficult and taxing ordeal for both the body and the mind, many apprentices suceeding in only destroying themselves in their attempt to learn. This has kept the numbers of the Red Lantern Mages low and the art as rare as it is. Surely if those in the higher circles of law were to uncover the methods of the School and its existence as more than mere legend the entire school would be wiped out like a puff of smoke. The Pathway Lit with Candle Light: The Steps to Power Red Lantern magic is strange, even for magic in a general sense. Those who use it must endure an apprenticeship with a master who teaches them the rituals and motions to invoke the power. The following information is kept secret upon pain of death, a powerful spell linked within the teachings and rituals that slay any not marked as an apprentice. Important Rituals Ritual of Awakening: This ritual is used on the first night of initiation, marking an individual soul to be a Red Lantern Mage. Heavy drinking for all is often included along with other activities. Ritual of Burning Cinders: The ritual that binds all users to silence on pain of death. Should a user speak of the Red Lantern Magic or its users to those not marked by the Ritual of Awakening burst into cinders from the inside out, burned to death by their very soul. The Dragon Emperor is allowed to discuss the magic with the Red Lantern Mages without tripping the Ritual. Lighting the Candle: The Ritual used to create the Lantern and and thus initiate the true teaching of Red Lantern Magic. The apprentice going through the motions of the ritual must endure several days of rigorous beatings, intoxication and isolation in complete darkness to harden their spirit and to force them to focus on the self. The next phase is a week in the wilderness, forced to survive off ones own wits until their master comes to fetch them. This is done to teach the apprentice to relay on nature and the world about themselves. Once both sections are complete the apprentice is brought back to his or her master and forced to undergo the last part of the ritual. An apprentice must forge their own lantern, an experience drawing on all the previous lessons to tap into their own spirit and forge it from the very fabric of their soulstuff. This event is helped along by the use of a special blend of drugs that allow the apprentice to more easily tap into their own energies though the drug itself causes risk of burn out of both the apprentices magic and mind should they not be careful. If the ritual is successful the apprentice will awaken with a gateway to their magic and a hanging lantern over their heads they must learn to hide away. Casting Away The Flesh: Upon completion of the Lighting the Candle Ritual, an apprentice must choose a part of their body to give forth to the magic within themselves. This is meant to symbolize casting away the physical body to empower the self. The body part set to be taken away need not be a full limb, many offering forth several fingers or even their own tongue. The actual casting off of the body part is done when an apprentice becomes a Journeyman. The Training of a Red Lantern Mage The First Night: Either through nefarious means or honest interest, a child or applicant is given to a master and the Ritual of Awakening is preformed along with the first step of the Ritual of Burning Cinders which binds and marks a user to the School. Applicants who have been taught in magic before hand must go through various tests created to hunt out those who would try to infiltrate their ranks. Apprenticeship: The applicant is groomed by his or her master for several years, being taught general knowledge of art, literature and general reading skills, music and other such things. After this general education is complete the ceremony of Lighting the Candle is started. Should the Apprentice pass and the creation of a Lantern is complete the apprentice is taught the basics of the Red Lantern Arts, provided the collected information of previous masters and in general enter through various training regimental sessions that will groom them for the future. Journeyman: Once a Red Lantern Apprentice learns two spells they are let back out into the world to learn and educate themselves about the world they will be operating in. After a period of time the current masters will call the Journeyman back to the island of Ikoku to test the Mage, granting him a Master title and the completion of the Ritual of Burning Cinders which allows the new master to use the Ritual itself. Masters are also taught the other rituals upon completion of their training. Mastery and Beyond: Masters of the Red Lantern Magic are incredibly rare, required to keep in touch with the small knit community and to take apprentices for themselves to continue the line. The Purview of the Lit Pathway: Scope and Powers of Red Lantern Magic Red Lantern Magic seeks to bridge the gap between the spirit and the users magic and the physical world, the lantern itself an expression of the mage that uses it. Red Lanter users have been noted to have unique lantern, no two alike owing to the ritual to create it and the innate difference of each user as a whole. This comes with a price however, outside the sacrifice of a part of the caster, in that Red Lantern Magic is addictive like any other drug, withdrawal from using the powers granted quite possible and horrific to witness should it occur as it is a withdrawl from the soul as much as a withdrawl from the substance itself. Red Lantern Magic is a very physical magic, much like Battle Magic in many of its spells. Summoning fire is the most common though darkness, smoke, ash, illusions and intoxicating effects are more than noted in the legends spoken about them. Unlike the legends, summons and bindings are impossible with Red Lantern Magic towing to the personal nature of the magic itself though it does not bar a user from learning such magic through another school though most find it quite hard to do so regardless.